This invention relates in general to a wheelchair, and in particular, to a wheelchair footrest bracket assembly capable of being used on either side of the wheelchair.
The use of detachable wheelchair footrests is well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,606 to Rodaway discloses a swing-away footrest no bracket having an upwardly facing lower collar and a downwardly facing upper collar that are attached to each front frame member on the wheelchair. A saddle member is inserted into the upper collar, rotated to abut the front frame member, and lowered into the lower collar to attach the footrest bracket. A spring-loaded latch engages a notch in the upper collar to lock the footrest. A detachable wheelchair footrest allows the occupant to maneuver the wheelchair in smaller places with a minimum amount of effort.
However, many of the prior art devices utilize rather complicated mechanisms for the removal and replacement of the footrest. In addition, all existing wheelchair footrests have a left and right footrest for the respective side of the wheelchair. These "handed" footrests have many parts unique to the left or right side of the wheelchair. Further, the attachment points and the hangers for the footrest are also unique for the left or right side of the wheelchair. As a result, the wheelchair supplier or health care provider is required to manufacture, assemble, and stock parts that are unique to the left and right side of the wheelchair, thereby increasing the cost of manufacturing the wheelchair and creating an inventory problem for the wheelchair dealer or healthcare provider. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an universal wheelchair footrest assembly that can be used for either the left or right side of the wheelchair.